Adam Peters faces some difficult decisions in the coming weeks and months. The Washington Commanders are bracing for another roster overhaul after their aspirations fell by the wayside in 2025. And the general manager must be ruthless in pursuit of getting things back on track.
Nobody thought the Commanders would fall so hard. They reached the NFC Championship game last year, and the aggressive moves throughout Peters' second recruitment period declared their intent to go one better. It didn't pay off, as Washington won just five games while everything around head coach Dan Quinn crumbled.
That dictates massive changes, and they are already underway. Nobody, aside from a few select cornerstone pieces, should consider themselves safe. And one respected Commanders insider highlighted a potential salary-cap cut candidate hiding in plain sight.
Commanders could kickstart their offseason by cutting Nick Allegretti
Nicki Jhabvvala from The Athletic thought this would be a good time for the Commanders and offensive lineman Nick Allegretti to possibly go their separate ways. He's gone from a starter to an expensive backup, leading the reporter to suggest that the savings from his early release could be better spent elsewhere.
"[Nick] Allegretti lost his starting job after Week 2, then stepped in at center after [Tyler] Biadasz got hurt late in the season and struggled with high snaps. Cutting him would save roughly $3.6 million in cap space."Nicki Jhabvala
Allegretti's role changed from the moment Washington struck a bombshell trade for five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Brandon Coleman switched to left guard, leaving the Super Bowl winner filling in for injured right guard Sam Cosmi to begin the 2025 campaign.
He was benched after just two games. Although the former Illinois standout performed well at the center position down the stretch, Allegretti's cap hit of more than $7 million on the final year of his deal is simply too much.
The Commanders could attempt to work out a contract restructure that would result in a pay decrease for Allegretti. They could also try to find a trade partner, though teams around the league know he may be cut, which would reduce the potential interest.
It'll be interesting to see what the Commanders have planned for the offensive line. If Chris Paul is extended, all five starting options will return. Most of the depth pieces are out of contract, so retaining Allegretti to maintain continuity couldn't be dismissed entirely. But Peters could just as easily cut the cord and find cheaper backups in free agency or the draft.
Everything is out of Allegretti's hands now. He'll be anxiously awaiting his fate, but it's starting to look like his time in Washington might be done.